


you're okay; i'm making sure of that

by chambers_none



Category: Firefly
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-30
Updated: 2013-12-30
Packaged: 2018-01-06 17:57:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 264
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1109862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chambers_none/pseuds/chambers_none
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Simon's always been responsible for his little sister, even if she had managed to outwit him by the time she was four.</p>
            </blockquote>





	you're okay; i'm making sure of that

"you're cold," is what he says first, like his actions need a prelude, an introduction- they don't, because it's just the two of them, simon and river and river and simon, and one of them is a trained doctor who can easily detect goosebumps patterning an arm and the slight hunch to shoulders in an effort to sustain body warmth, and other is feeling the cold.

 

river doesn't nod, barely moves as her brother wraps her up in a kintted quilt- a soft lilac, not one of hers, kaylee's, maybe? what was simon doing with- oh-

 

"you okay?"

 

because river starts shaking and sobbing, muttering on some topic or the other, and he draws her in tight, huddles her close with her. he rocks her slowly, whispering "shhh" and "it's okay, i'm here, river", and "it's me, simon", but she doesn't stop and he turns her around, fingers carding through her tangled hair- he wishes not for the first time he knew how to plait it, she always did like attention being lavished onto her hair.

 

"there, there," he croons, wrapping her up closer, and she stops shaking as much, but her eyes are unfocused and wild.

 

mentally he counts it's been sixty five seconds.

 

fifteen seconds longer than it usually takes for her to calm down.

 

so he does what comes to mind, presses a kiss to her forehead like when their mother used to do when they were young as she tucked them into bed.

 

"not eight," river murmurs, then her eyes find his, "simon?"

 

it's not really a question. it's understanding.


End file.
